UNCONSIDERED TREASURES.

Otago Witness, Volume 02, Issue 2420, 2 August 1900, Page 64

UNCONSIDERED TREASURES.

(Henry W. Ltjcy, in the Strand Magazine.) There lie hidden to-day in a muniment rocin in Victoria Tower, Westminster, a collection of historical documents who&e personal history is not less romantic than the narratives they record. When, in 1834, fire broke out in the old Palace of Westminster, one of the officers of the House of Lords bethought him of certain bundles of musty papers dumped down in an ancient annex. Tradition had handed down to the staff the impression that these documents were exceedingly valuable, which to the official mind fully accounted for their being hidden away in a cellar. The officer made gallant and unsuccessful efforts to save them. Being rescued they stiaightway fell into their old condition of disregard. While the new Houses of Parliament were being built the bundles were shifted about from shed to shed to suit the convenience of the workmen. When the building was completed the hapless trea-sure-trove was carted into the basement storey of the offices of the House of Lords, which, running parallel with the river at something below its level, was recognised as the very place in which to store precious papers. More than a quairter of a century later a gentleman engaged upon an historical work asked permission to make search in the House of Lords foi any papers bearing upon the subject. He was courteously let loose in this river cellar, and had not been there many da^rs before he discovered a veritable Klondyke of papers relating in intimate fashion to some of the most critical and interesting epochs in English history, dating from 1479 to 1664.

In his "History of the Rebellion" — meaning the establishment of the Commonwealth — Lord Clarendon, writing of ISfaseby fight, reports how "in the end the King ■was compelled to quit the field, and to have Fairfax master of all his foot, cannon, and baggage, amongst which was his own cabinet, where his most secret papers were, and letters between the Queen and him." Here, among these unconsidered bvndles, treated for centuries as if they had been dirfcy linen, lay perdue these loveletters passing between the hapless King and his wife Henrietta, whose portraits, limned by the hand of Vandyck, adorned through dark days of the past winter the walls of Burlington House. The Puritans, with malicious intent, printed and cii culated these letters, just as, after the Tuileries were sacked, the correspondence of Napoleon 111 and the Empiess, found in private chambers, w?<s given to the gieedy mob. The French Imperial fugitives did not come so well out of the ordeal as do their seventeenth century predecessors. Charles I was a bad King, but these letters, lately rescued out of the abyss of centuries, show him in a gentle light. The Queen is equally tender in the dark hour of adversity. Both write in cipher, the secret of which was not withheld from the prying eves of the Puritans, whose transcript of the letters vow lies hidden from the world in the solitude of Victoria Tower. Queen Henrietta uses the olden French feraiiliar to the readers of Montaigne's Essays. Writing on January 16, 1643, "au Roy Mon Seigneur," from an unnamed place, she says (being translated) :— " My dear Heart, I made an^account to depart yesterday, but the winds were so boisterous that my goods and luggage could not be 3ent aboard today. Howsoever I hope it will be done to-~ morrow. If the wind serves I mean to be gone on Thursday. God willing. I have so much unexpected business now upon my departure, which causes me to be extremely troubled with the headache, and to make use of another which I would have done myself, but that I have many letters to write into France. Watt being come thence, I shall only tell you that he hath brought me all that I could desire from thenre. Farewell, my dear Heart."

" The King mv lord," writing from Oxford, "To my Wyfe, 26 March, 1645, by Sakfield," thus discourses, with kingly variety of spelling :— " Deare hart, I could not get thy Dispaches "wch Petit brought before resferday wch I red with wonder anufe Ip fynde thee interpret my letter, marked 16, as if I had not beene well satisfied w-ith something in thy letter by Pooly. I confess that I expressed aus;er in that lettei, but it was by complaining to thee not of thee, and indeed when I am accused of concealing my Affaires from thee either by negligence or worse I cannol bee well pleased and though I am behoulding to thy love for not believing I am not the more oblieed to my accusers' goodwills; albeit the effects thereof (by thy kyndeness) is most welcome, to mcc, and certainly I know nothing less in thy power than to make me be displeased with thee : I have beene and am seldom other then ane;rv with mvselfe for not expressing my Affection to thee according to my intentions. So far have I alwais beene from taking anything vnkvndly of tlipe ; as for my desyring thee to keepe my Dispaches, it was in particular and not in generall consenting those of Ire-

land, not knowing whether thou thought secrecy in thai business so requiset as I know it to be, for many are of that nature as ar fitt to be showen and wher they ar of an undouted kynde these I confess needs no items 5 but where I am not sure of thy concurring opinion there to give ihee a causioii may show my want of judgment but not of confidence in thee: In a word, Sweet hart, I cannot be other than kynde to thee and confident of thee ; and say what thou will, thou must and does know this to be trew of him who is eternally Thyne."